France!!

Bonjour de France!!

I'm here, I'm finally here! I've been here about a week and so far it's been a rollercoaster of experiences and emotions. I've gone from exhausted and nervous to homesick and confused and finally to excited and content. The beginning was more difficult than I anticipated. Fortunately, I think I'm starting to get settled into the routine and life is making more sense to me now.

I don't even really know how to write this entry. So much has happened and I don't know where to start. Hm...well, the plane trip was fine. I actually slept about five hours and had long layovers so I didn't miss any flights like last time. Anne and the kids picked me up at the airport where we ate breakfast together and Marie (the three year old) was already holding my hand as we left. We drove through Marseille and then on to Aubagne, the rural, suburb-type place where we live. We stopped at the market in the city center where they were selling vegetables and pottery. Very cool. Then we went on to the house and I took a nice long nap.

I learned early on that I could understand a lot of what the kids are saying, or at least get the gist of it. I've been having more trouble talking to them and trying to explain what I need them to do. It makes for some difficult situations. Right now they're testing their boundaries with me and I'm having touble communicating. They are really great kids though. Very cute and sweet. The other day I taught Paul (the six year old) how to make shapes (like teacups and the eiffel tower) with string like we used to do as kids. He got really excited and hugged me and kept saying it was "magique!" He's really good at explaining what he's talking about by saying it slower or finding a different way to say it. Marie just says it louder and louder. It's funny.

We spend our days playing, eating, napping, and playing some more. They have a pool which has been wonderful. The food here is also wonderful. I'm out of my comfort zone a little bit with it because I've always been a really picky eater but I'm trying everything (except olives which I tried last time I was here and I hate). I ate beets the other day. Definitely not top on my list. However, escargot and sardines are not bad. I absolutely love bread with cheese. Their milk is different from what I'm used to. It tastes different and doesn't have to be refrigerated until it's opened. Their fruit is also a variation on ours, particularly their melons. I've even started to like water, something I never thought possible.

We've had guests for dinner four times now. It's been fun but difficult for me to try to follow conversations. Anne is great about translating for me though. We often eat outside by the pool because the weather is so nice. It's magnificent. Meals last a really long time here and it's nice to just relax at the table for a few hours.

The least relaxing thing has been driving. Julien has gone with me twice and I attempted it alone yesterday. The kids road the first two times and the whole time Paul kept saying "very good" with his cute French accent and Marie kept putting her foot on my ear. The car is manual but easier than ones I've driven at home. I do still have trouble with hills though. The biggest problem is that the roads are different and people drive differently. Also, most of the parking is parallel which scares the...something...out of me. There are traffic circles everywhere and the roads are narrow. On our road, there are a number of places where it turns into one lane abruptly and if you meet someone, one of you has to drive backward until there is more room. That happened to me yesterday and I panicked, hit the break, and stalled out.

So, it's been a stressful week but a good one. I'm off on weekends so I'm using today to catch up on everything I didn't have time to do before. It's also warm and windy outside and I took a walk around the house taking pictures and exploring. They're renovating so there are always men here working and lots of hammering and drilling noises. Right now it's pretty peaceful and I think I'll go out by the pool and study up on my French. A bientôt!